Improvement in corkscrews



A. W. SPERRY. Cork-Screw.

No. 204,389; Patented May 28, 1878.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIGE.

ALFRED W. SPERRY, OF WALLINGFORD, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN CORKSCREWS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 204,389, dated May 28,1878; application filed May 13, 1878.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALFRED W. SPERRY, ofWallingford, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, haveinvented a new Improvement in Corkscrews; and I do hereby declare thefollowing, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings andthe letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of thisspecification, and represent, in

Figure 1, perspective View; Fig. 2, sectional side view.

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of corkscrews inwhich the screw is hinged to the shorter arm of a lever, and in whichthe fulcrum of the lever is constructed to set upon the neck of thebottle, so that when the corkscrew has been inserted the turning of thelever on the fulcrum will turn the corkscrew and with it draw the cork.

In the usual construction the screw has been made a permanent orimmovable part of the instrument-that is to say, the pintle by which itis attached to the lever has been riveted, so that when the screw isbroken the instrument is useless except it be sent to a mechaniciancompetent to repair it.

The object of this invention is to construct the instrument so thatseveral screws may be supplied with the instrument, or any personunskilled may remove the screw or introduce a different one; and itconsists in constructing the lever forked at its lower end, with eachleg of the fork made into hook shape, opening to oneside, with aturn-button or equivalent device to be closed over the opening orremoved from it, as occasion may require, combined with a screw, theshank of which is constructed with trunnions to fit the said hooked endsof the fork, as more fully hereinafter described.

A is the longer arm of the lever, provided with a suitable terminationor handle, B. It is hung to the fulcrum O, which extends upward from ayoke, D, formed to surround and rest upon the neck of the bottle, and ina wellknown manner. The lower arm E of the lever is forked, as seen inFig. 3, and each arm of the fork notched, or so as to form hooks a. Onthe face of the lower arm of the lever a turn button, F, is hung, so asto turn over and cover the mouth of the hooks, as seen in Fig. 1, oraway, so as to open the mouth, as seen in Fig. 3.

The corkscrew portion is of the usual form, and constructed with ashank, H. The head of this shank has a trunnion, d, on each side, and sothat the head will pass into the fork and the trunnions within the hook,as seen in Fig. 1; and after they have been so introduced theturn-button. F is turned over the mouth and rests upon the face of thehead of the screw. The face being flat, the turn-button acts as a springto retain the screw in the line of the lever, and in that condition thecorkscrew is run into the cork in the usual manner. The metal of theyoke rests on the neck of the bottle; then turning the lever, asindicated in broken lines, Fig. 2, raises the screw and draws the cork.

It will be understood from the foregoing that no claim is here made to acorkscrew attached to one arm of the lever and the lever hinged to ayoke, so as to rest on the neck of the bottle; but

What is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

The lever constructed with the forked end, each part of the fork in hookshape, combined with a screw, the head of which is constructed withtrunnions to rest in said hooks, and means, substantially as described,on the lever for closing the mouth of the hooks, and with a yoke hingedto the lever, substantially as described.

ALFRED XV. SPERRY.

Witnesses:

JOHN E. EARLE, H. A. KITsoN.

